Eric J. Wittenberg’s Top Civil War Book Picks

By Eric J. Wittenberg · Originally published November 2018 · p. 21

John J. Hennessy, Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993). This may very well be the best single-volume study of a Civil War campaign that I have ever read. I remain fascinated by the events of this campaign, and constantly refer back to John Hennessy’s clear prose and thorough research when looking for information regarding its specific aspects. I recently wrote an article about the Aug. 2, 1862, cavalry fight at Orange Court House, Va., and John’s book was my starting point. Mark L. Bradley, Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville (Mason City, IA: Savas, 1996). I discovered the Carolinas Campaign in the late 1990’s, and made my first visit to the Bentonville Battlefield in 2002. Mark Bradley’s Last Stand in the Carolinas is the definitive account of the Civil War in 1865 North Carolina. It includes the best battle narrative of the battle yet published, is easy to read and thoroughly researched. I re-read the entire book periodically just to refresh my memory, as my own work on the Carolinas Campaign remains ongoing. Mark Anderson Moore’s excellent maps only add to the quality of this treatment of an overlooked campaign. I cannot say enough good things about this particular book.

Gordon C. Rhea, Overland Campaign study series, 1994–2017. These books combine to provide the definitive study of the 1864 Overland Campaign. Featuring outstanding research, clearly written prose, thorough analysis, and featuring good maps by George Skoch, this six volumes series should stand for a very long time as the go-to references for the Overland Campaign. Stephen W. Sears, Chancellorsville (New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1996). This is THE best single volume history of the Chancellorsville Campaign yet written, even though I strongly disagree with some of Steve’s conclusions, particularly his vehement defense of Joe Hooker’s direction of the campaign. That said, when I was retained to lead a tour of the Chancellorsville battlefield for several individuals in 2016, this volume served as the basis for my research. Until someone writes a better history of the campaign, this will remain my go-to volume on Chancellorsville. Francis Augustin O’Reilly, The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State

University Press, 2002). As a general statement, I don’t find the Fredericksburg Campaign to be terribly interesting. Direct frontal assaults against a natural breastwork will usually fail, and aren’t particularly interesting to me. What I had always downplayed was the fighting at Prospect Hill, where Union infantry actually broke Stonewall Jackson’s line and forced Jackson to call for reinforcements. Frank O’Reilly made a battle that doesn’t interest me interesting. That’s quite an accomplishment. This book remains one of the best pieces of military history published in recent years.

David A. Powell, Chickamauga campaign trilogy, 2014–2016. The Battle of Chickamauga has long been overlooked. The largest battle in the Western Theater, Chickamauga has always been given short shrift because it involved two unpopular figures in Braxton Bragg and William S. Rosecrans and proved a barren victory. Nevertheless, three days of brutal fighting with massive casualties deserved a high quality campaign treatment, and Dave Powell has done just that. With clear prose and a truly remarkable scope of research, this trilogy should stand as THE definitive study of the Chickamauga Campaign for a very long time. This trilogy is some of the best military history written in the last thirty years and deserves a place on every Civil War bookshelf. It was extremely helpful to me in my own work on the Sept. 18, 1863, actions at Chickamauga.

is an award-win on cavalry operations, and has also done extensive work on the Gettysburg Campaign. He is a frequent lecturer and tour guide, and serves on the board of the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. Wittenberg was a member of the book review staff of this publication for a number of years. He is an attorney in private practice in Columbus, Ohio.